Category Archives: Friends

The Cottage Chronicles (part 1)

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I woke up this morning to the sound of cars on the busy road behind our house, not the voice of a little three year old wanting to go downstairs and definitely not the sound of boats or water splashing against the dock. We arrived home last night after ten fabulous days; the weather was beautiful (only one rainy day), the company was excellent as was the food, the setting restful and the activities loads of fun.

So, at the risk of boring you with details, I will spend a few days posting some photos and stories. I’m sure it will help with my lake withdrawal too.

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This is the view from the dock and yes, it did look like this 90% of the time we were there. Below is the view looking back from the water to the cottage.img_3133crop.jpg The cottage is over 100 years old and my friend N has been coming here for summer holidays ever since she was a child. She is definitely what is known as a “laker” as are her children P and H. Her husband is a “married in” and we, her friends are “non lakers”. Believe me there is a definite hierachy at the lake!

What makes this lake rather special as far as I can tell and as the “lakers” confirm is the full program provided for club members. The club, which is celebrating its centenary this year, is not attended by all those with cottages on the lake, but many have been members for years as their parents and grandparents were. Swimming lessons, regattas, bi-lake and tri-lake swim meets all occur in the lanes between the docks down below the club. Tot’s craft and story time, movie night, craft night, games night, teen and pre-teen night also happen in the club. For the adults there are bands who visit, a ladies luncheon, dances and social events. One of the highlights of the club for the kids is the canteen which operates during any of the scheduled events.

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Most of our days started with one or other of the girls hurrying their mother along in order to be at swimming lessons on time. It wasn’t so much that they wanted to be there, when they had friends visiting, it was more that they didn’t want to be given 30 extra laps by their swim coach. After lessons were over they returned home and settled into one of the many activities available to us all. Games of chess, swimming, canoeing and paddleboating, Narnia recitations, blueberry picking and braiding of each others’ hair are just some of the things that went on.

More tomorrow.

Cottage time

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We are off to visit friends for a week so I will not be writing for a while.  When I return I hope to have photos and stories to share.   Our friends’ cottage is on a lake which has run the same summer programs for decades.  My daughters’ friends have their swimming lessons off the same island as their mother did thirty years ago.  There are movie nights, games nights, luncheons and concerts in the same clubhouse.  We will go to church in the same chapel that my friend’s grandfather preached in many years ago.  Last year we were there on the weekend of the swim regatta and the children are looking forward to competing again this year.

Once we arrive at the village we park the car and are taken by boat to the cottage and go every where by boat.  It really is a most relaxing location.  So that’s what we will be doing: relaxing.   I hope you get a chance to do the same.

Summer days are for:

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img_2936quiltcrop.jpgWashing the quilts and blankets
Gardening
Planting a herb garden (that is mine in the tubs)
Softball
Swimming
Reading books
Visiting friends
Entertaining friends
Long slow meals
Listening to music
Sleeping in (occasionally)
Preparation
Sewing
Scrapbooking and card making
Soccer
Barbecues
Visiting a cottage (that’s next week)
Camping
Making chutney, jam, salsa
Cleaning, sorting, organising
Throwing things away
Relaxing

One to a Hundred

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Such uncontrolled and raucous laughter has not been heard around our dining table in a while. We have had some intense games of 1-100 in past months but none have been as loud as this one. Tonight we had the camp counselors here for dinner after their day at camp. Initially there was no sign of the rowdiness we were to see later. They were all quiet and polite; they planted themselves around A10’s doll house where they chatted and waited for the whole contingent to arrive.

Even when they were all present they stayed there and had their daily debriefing, ending with a prayer time. Next they gravitated to the kitchen, but still I saw only mild and helpful young adults chatting with each other and offering to help me. When the bbq was being consumed we began to see some enthusiastic eating from the young men, and some eagerness when I brought out the icecream sandwiches.

After dinner my suggestion of a game of 1-100 was met with blank looks. L12 and I gathered the supplies: piece of paper for everyone, a die and a pen. The rules are simple: everyone takes turns rolling the die, when anyone rolls a six they grab the pen and start writing consecutive numbers starting at one. Then next person to roll a six grabs the pen from the writer and begins (or continues) writing their own numbers. The first to one hundred is the winner.

Shouting, jungle type sounds, shrieks and groans were heard amidst much laughter. If you don’t believe me just try it. I think we saw the counselors true colours showing through! Seriously, though they are a great group and Andrew and I were happy to spend some time with them. They have committed their summer to giving many children (2 of ours this week) a safe, happy and fun packed time at camp, sharing Jesus’ love as they do.

Friends with pools

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Summer is off to a good start. We have visited four back yard pools so far. Granted it rained the whole time we were at one so we didn’t go in. We have some wonderful friends with pools but none of them live within a 35 km range of us. Not that I’m complaining, we love to see them and to swim in their pools. And of course if we’re going that far we can’t just go for a short while can we?

L12 continued her Powerswim course today; she is still enjoying it and learning new things. Immediately after she finishes the pool has an hour for lap swimming so I swam my kilometre. I should be able to do that most days this week. B6 and A10 started attending the day camp at our church today and both gave positive reports when I picked them up.

Summer time

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Summer time and the livin’ is easy.
Well not exactly easy, but different, refreshing and a little more relaxed. The house is getting a good “spring clean”?? The end of term became so busy during the days and evenings that the phrase, “I’ll get to that in the holidays” became common place for me.

Over the Canada Day long weekend we spent time with friends; I scrapbooked and Andrew and B6 were invited by B’s soccer coach and son to attend two of the FIFA U20 games. On Sunday we drove out into the country to one of the neatest, most ordered little farms I’ve ever seen. One of our friends, very near and dear to our girls, was getting baptised in the pool at the farm. Her church does not have a baptism tank so they hold their baptisms in the summer out at the farm of one of their members. Once again it was a delight and privilege to see a young lady we know and love proclaim her love for Christ and her commitment to follow Him always. Afterwards there was dessert and swimming for those who did not mind the chilly water.

I was taken on a little tour of the farm and I saw the huge vegetable garden with rows of flowers interspersed with the tomatoes, corn, rhubarb, peppers and other healthy looking vegies. At the end of the garden we could look out on the huge rolls of freshly cut hay and see the cows wandering in from the field in a row. The one in front mooed the whole way as if calling the others to follow. The last cow in stopped at the game and turned around to check all were in. We were sure she was going to shut the gate behind her.

I managed a little gardening at the beginning of the week, I have to do it in short bursts as my back is giving me trouble. At least I have all the herbs in. It would have been better if they had been in a month ago but I’m still hoping to be able to pick from my own basil, parsley, coriander, sage, oregano and thyme. Laura began her Power swim class today and has learnt racing turns and dives. Straight after her class we headed out to visit friends with the hope of swimming in their new pool but instead we watched the rain fall into it. Conveniently the rain stopped just as we began our softball game tonight, a good game but we lost.

On location

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A friend called me yesterday to see if we would like to watch some filming that was going on at her place. She and her husband own a farm, twenty minutes away from us, where they keep horses. Several weeks ago, she had let me know that they were considering letting a tv series do some filming using their horses, barns and beautiful farm scenery.

When we arrived they were just redoing a scene with one of the horses. Two girls were standing by the horse talking about a boy, when the boy turned up and whipped off his cap to reveal…a girl! A peak into the tent where the monitors were gave me a glimpse of what the viewers will eventually see. While the crew prepared for another scene, we were taken on a short tour of the horse barn, the adjacent enclosures and the farmhouse, built in 1885. The lovely white farm house is surrounded by red geraniums and blue lobelia and makes a beautiful backdrop for filming.

We returned to the corrals where the actors and crew were rehearsing another short scene. After many repetitions of the scene with out cameras we watched several takes before we had to leave. The action was taking place outside the corral with a horse behind them, which was apparently not the original plan. The actors and crew, who had no horse experience, had tried the scene in with the horses several times only to find that the sudden appearance of the girls spooked the horses every time. We were there for a couple of hours during which time they may have completed one three or four minute scene. It was a very interesting glimpse into the world of tv.

Trackmeet

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The annual homeschooler’s track meet was held yesterday and we were able to stay for the whole event this year. In past years it has clashed with both the girl’s senior solo recital and the softball tournament. The day was hot and sunny resulting in a bit of sunburn for each of us. L,A and B gave their best and all came home with at least one ribbon. Alexandra has learnt the strategy of pacing herself during the heats in order to have more in reserve for the finals. Ben was not the jogging, smiling, waving runner we saw race last year, but a single minded sprinter with his eye on the finish line.

The highlights for me were watching my girls and their good friends P and H team up in the relay and make the final, then watching my whole family run the 800m (that’s Andrew and B6 running it in the photo). Of course some one had to forgo the race in order to take the pictures.

Stubborn in a good way

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On Sunday we had the privilege of watching three friends of ours be baptised. The three children are very similar in age to our children and we have been close friends for five or six years. Each child testified to the power of God in their life and the desire they had to follow Him always. After each child had spoken their mom and dad spoke to them words of encouragement and read specially chosen bible verses. Each child listened as their mom explained why their names were chosen and their dad gave them a verse corresponding to the meaning of each of their names. Their parents also mentioned gifts and character traits they saw in their children and urged them to use them for God’s glory. The youngest, a lively, happy seven year old was described by her mom as tenacious – stubborn in a good way.

We then enjoyed the fellowship of their family and friends over lunch and were able to listen to their grandparents give them words of blessing, verses and carefully selected gifts before their grandfather, then father prayed for them. I know this is someone else’s story but it was wonderful to share in it. These are like minded friends who share many of our beliefs and goals and are a joy and encouragement to us.

Tornado warning

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Andrew, B6 and I headed out tonight to play the second game of a softball tournament with a tornado warning current and the sky looking ominous. The girls were heading out at the same time with a friend for their first try at busking. We weren’t sure whether any of us were in for a winning night.

After an easy victory last night we were looking forward to the game against a team we have played many times in the past. The rain began just as the previous game ended and within minutes it was bucketing down. The wind was fierce and the lightning getting closer by the second.

At the same time the three girls were playing their first set on the patio of our friend’s uncle’s restaurant. The weather got wild there too so the patrons and musicians were moved inside. They continued on for an hour or so, made a bit of money and arrived home tired but happy.

We have yet to find out the time of our rescheduled game but it could be early tomorrow so I’d best go to bed.